Cut Flower Garden: Cutting and Conditioning

Dahlias, peonies, cosmos, and zinnias; snapdragons, delphiniums, gladiolas, and even the brightest bulbs. The fresh cut flower garden makes the long days of summer all the sweeter. We have very much enjoyed allotting portions of our time, and gardens to fill our worlds with flowers. And when your spaces are transformed with blooms, it is time to harvest.

Cutting

There’re a few key points we remember whenever we gather from the cut flower gardens.

1. Always harvest in either the early mornings or later in the evenings after waterings when water stress is lowest and the stems most rigid. When possible, avoid higher temperatures, choosing a time when it’s still cool.
2. Use clean sharp shears or scissors and wipe your blades between cuts. Have a container with water handy to place cut stems into. Aim to cut as low to the ground as possible to give yourself as much stem as possible to work with. Finally, remove from heat immediately and bring indoors.
3. Generally you’ll want to harvest when your flowers just begin to open, and the colours begin to deepen. Timing is certainly the one point that does need a bit of experience in mastering. For flowers growing in a spike or raceme inflorescence, cut when the bottom flowers just begin to open, whereas for larger floral heads like those of dahlias or peonies, you’ll want the bud to be further opened (something too tight will not continue opening if cut too soon).
4. As with the 1/3 rule for fresh herbs, be careful with over cutting, it’s better to take smaller amounts to ensure a longer season. Speaking of seasons, different flowers will have varying bloom times and lengths. Review as you begin cutting and once you’re nearing the finale of one, enjoy one large final harvest.

Conditioning

This refers to the final small but impactful measures we take for helping our cut flower garden harvests and the eventual arrangements last for as long as possible. Once you’ve brought it your cuttings:

1. Remove all foliage at least ¼ to 1/3 up the stem. Anything that will be below the water level should be stripped. This is a preventative step to minimize rotting.
2. Fill your vase or vessel about ¼ with lukewarm water. The temperature should be easy to handle, neither too warm nor too cold.
3. Again with sharp scissors or shears and just before placing in your vase, proceed to recut your stems at a 45˚ angle. You’ll want a clean cut ensuring you have not damaged any of the necessary vasculature for water uptake. The exception is for flowers with woody stems (like lilacs), where you can make you initial perpendicular cut follow by a cut parallel to the middle of the stem.

A note from Julie: One of the questions that often comes up with the cut flower garden is whether or not to use flower foods or DIY alternatives. This is often because people have found that there’s no difference and that plant food actually causes arrangements to do poorly. Here, I share the secret that these people have likely not read the instructions on the small packages. Generally, it’s a tear open and dump into a vase, but these packets are not designed equal for every size of vase, amount of water and flowers. When used correctly they can increase longevity and freshness of flowers. So, I would recommend either opting for pre-made flower food, or trying and DIY recipe.

Once Arranged  

1. Once you’ve created your beautiful arrangement, place it away from direct sunlight and in a cooler location if possible. Both heat and light can shorten the lifespan of your flowers
2. Continue changing your water daily. If you find that any of your stems are starting to soften or rot, trim accordingly.
3. Remove any dead or dying foliage or flowers and rearrange as needed.
4. Keep a journal or simply take notes on your phone on how each of your flower species do once cut. Paying attention to length of bloom, how often they need to be trimmed and whether the flowers continue to open or change. This is an opportunity to further your connection with your flowers and garden. As time goes on, you begin to feel empowered, like an expert you have the experience that makes you feel knowledgeable and confident.
   

Whether this is your first or fifteenth year harvesting a cut flower garden, being able to say “those flowers are from my garden”, is one of the greatest feelings. May your flowers be plentiful, the blooms beautiful and the gardener fulfilled. If you don’t already, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest! Looking for more reading and inspiration on all things home, gardening and lifestyle? Check out the The Wild Blog.